Because
by kymm
Summary: (J/C) My first EVER attempt at romance. A last scene of Voyager, and er...Kathryn has something to say to Chakotay....


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Because 

YAY! I finally got time to write a fic! ::dances around her maypole:: ::cough:: Well, I wrote this under the influence of Britney Spears (sic) so…don't kill me! _The bombers secret society of justice forever! _Uh…yeah…

SUMMARY: The last J/C scene of Voyager. I believe there was a challenge of some kind. Where the Brandon Braga dude calls your house or something…? Well, it's how I think J/C should be concluded. 

CODE: J/ C 

By the way-if you don't have the fonts "MS Outlook" or "Monotype Sorts" on your computer, the above and the below may look odd. And—er—I already know this isn't the best story I've ever done. At least the spelling and grammar is done well. But, my first attempt at any type of romance in anything. And I hate writing romance. But, I've always wanted to write a J/C fic!

By: Katrine Potter-Lupin 

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Kathryn Janeway sat with her knees tucked underneath her chin. Some might say that was an odd position for a Starfleet Captain to be in. _But_, thought Kathryn, _it was a different kind of night_. _Tonight _was the night to celebrate. 

For you see, Kathryn had just gained a victory. All of the Maquis were free. She couldn't exactly credit herself for their pardons, but she felt like she had at least a reason to celebrate. 

And, it wasn't like anyone was watching her. Tom Paris, (for the occasion), had created a holodeck program of a peaceful park, surrounded by pine and maple trees. Kathryn was sitting on a ledge surrounded by a pond of water and tall pine trees. 

The crew (she assumed) was up in the cabin celebrating. She, on the other hand, was celebrating by thinking. Of what to do next. 

It had always been her goal to get to the Alpha Quadrant. That was her obsession for seven years. But know…she had none. She had no ambition. She had never really stopped to think, while in the Delta Quadrant, of what exactly _she _was going to do when she got back home. She didn't have time to worry about herself. 

And know—she did. 

She supposed she would go to Indiana for awhile—to see her mother and sister. But, she couldn't stay in Indiana forever. Where, exactly, would she go from there? Stay in Starfleet? Perhaps she would. 

But then, who to turn to for companionship? Mark was still happily married. She had met his wife. She was really a nice person, and Kathryn really did wish the best for them. But, now she had nobody. Kathryn would only admit this to herself, but that really scared her. That she would be alone. 

__

Ironic, she thought to herself. Kathryn Janeway; the woman who had faced the Borg, Hirogen, Kazon, Vidians, and the infinite number of other species in the Delta Quadrant— was afraid to be alone. 

"Truly ironic." She muttered out loud, looking at the night sky that she knew only too well. 

"What's truly ironic?" said a sudden voice from behind her, shattering her thoughts into the nighttime sky. 

Kathryn dropped her knees to the ground and stood up so quickly that she almost fell into the pond. "Chakotay?" she asked. 

"Last time I checked." He replied, and sat on the ledge where she had been previously sitting. 

"You were looking for me?" she asked, more of a statement then a question. She only knew him too well. 

"Well, I was wondering where you had gone, yes." He said.

"Ahh." She said. 

"So…what were you doing when I so rudely interrupted?" He paused. "Other than talking to the holographic grasshoppers." He added with a grin. 

"Thinking." She said, choosing to ignore his last comment. 

"Something you do well." He said. 

"I'll take that as a compliment. And, before you ask, I was thinking about what I'm going to do now that I don't have to lead Voyager through the Delta Quadrant." 

Chakotay laughed. "What made you think I was going to ask?" 

"I know you only too well." Kathryn sighed. 

There was a moment of silence. Kathryn took that moment to take a seat beside Chakotay. Chakotay turned to look at her as she resumed her former position. 

"So," he said softly, "what are you going to do?" 

She shrugged. "I haven't decided that yet. I suppose I'll go to Indiana to see my mother and my sister, Phoebe." She smiled wryly. "I think you'd like her." 

Chakotay chuckled. "I think I would." 

"She's annoying. Maybe that's because she's two years younger than I am. She always annoyed me when I was younger." She laughed. 

Chakotay chuckled. "What about you?" Kathryn asked. 

Chakotay looked at her. "Me? Well, I'll be going to Arizona for awhile. To see my cousin." He smiled at her. 

She gave him a small grin back. It was starting to seem to her that she was the only person that didn't have an agenda. "What about after that, Chakotay?" 

He looked at her strangely. "I'm not sure yet. Maybe I'll rejoin Starfleet. Maybe not. Become a teacher, perhaps." 

"I think you'd be good at that." She said vaguely. She really did think so. He would be a good teacher. Yes…a good teacher….

"What about you?" he pressed. 

She shook her head, and sighed. "Oh, I don't know." She said. She threw up her hands. "I really don't know." She stood up, and started to pace around, like she used to in her Ready Room, on Voyager, so many years ago. 

"Are you all right, Kathryn?" he asked, and also stood up. He was looking at her, obviously concerned. 

"Yes, yes…I'm perfectly fine!" she said. "I really am." She said, eyeing his look of disbelief. 

"Uh…all right, then." He said.There was another long pause. Chakotay looked around, and sighed. "Well, I have a public transport to catch, Kathryn. I'd better start to get going." 

Kathryn was taken aback. "A transport? To where?" 

"To Arizona, Kathryn. I told you, I'm going to see my cousin." 

Kathryn sighed. "Oh, yes." 

Chakotay looked at her, almost as if he were expecting her to say something. Kathryn looked back, wondering what he was thinking. Maybe he was thinking the same thing she was. 

"Well, I'd better go. Take care." He said, with a slight frown. 

"You too, Chakotay. Keep in touch?" she asked him. 

"Yes, I think we should." He agreed, never taking his eyes off her. 

"You know where to find me." She said, with a smile. 

"Of course. Good-bye, Kathryn." 

"Good-bye, Chakotay." 

He patted her on the shoulder, and walked away, leaving her to stare at the water, and to hear him walk away. Again. Just like so many others had done to her. So many times. 

She turned around to watch him go. There was an odd feeling in her stomach; standing there, and watching him walk away. She wasn't sure what that feeling was. She stood, unable to move or speak as she stood there watching him walk away. She watched, her heart getting heavier and heavier with each step that he took, farther and farther away from her. 

The thought came to her mind as quickly as a blot of lightning. She had to stop him. Before he got too far away. She couldn't let him walk away. Not now. She just couldn't. It wasn't a rational thought. It wasn't rational at all for a Starfleet captain. But she had to do it. Before it was too late. 

She opened her mouth. "Chakotay—wait!" she shouted. He turned back around, already halfway up the hill that led to the holodeck exit. 

She ran up to him, not stopping, not hesitating. She had to say it. Before she made a mistake she would regret for the rest of her life. She stood in front of him, hyperventilating from the long run up the hill. 

"What is it, Kathryn?" he asked. She opened up her mouth to say something, but the correct terminology wouldn't come to her. She started to panic. If she couldn't say the correct words here, she'd never be able to tell him. She would have lost everything. 

So, she stood there. Staring at him wildly, clue-less in what to say to this man—or how to say it. 

Chakotay looked back at her, wondering why she was standing in front of him, blocking his way. "Kathryn," he said, "is there any particular reason why you're standing in front of me?" 

"Yes." She replied immediately. "Because…because…." 

Chakotay continued to stare at her, wondering what she was doing.

"Because…." She said again, thinking about all they had been through in the past seven years. How they had gone from worst enemies to best friends. And…perhaps, if she didn't completely mess up here….

"Love." She said, in an almost inaudible voice.

"Come again?" said Chakotay, who thought he had heard her wrong. 

"I stopped you because I love you." She started to laugh. "Yes, that's why I stopped you, Chakotay, because I love you! I don't want you to go! I need you! I always have!" 

Chakotay looked at her for a moment that held an eternity. Then, he grinned and pulled her close to him. She laughed and buried her head in his chest. She could feel him moving up the hill again.

"So, where do we go now?" asked Kathryn.

"I don't know…wherever you want to." 

THE END

A/N: Ha! It wasn't that bad, was it? Remember, first attempt at J/C! 

[~gandalf_the_purple@hotmail.com~][1]

   [1]: mailto:~gandalf_the_purple@hotmail.com~



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